Southampton endured a dull start to their Premier League campaign as they played out a goalless draw against Burnley in their opening match. They will face an even stiffer challenge this time around as Marco Silva’s Everton look well-equipped to deal with the Saints.
Southampton – Team News
The Saints do not have any minor/major injury issues, and as it is the start of the season, none of their players are under the risk of being suspended.
Predicted Southampton lineup
Defence
Alex McCarthy will be the custodian for Southampton. A clean sheet was a good start to the season for McCarthy but he could be a lot more busy against Everton this weekend.
Hughes will most probably deploy the trio of Janik Vestergaard, Wesley Hoedt and Jack Stephens in defence. Vestergaard and Stephens won seven and five aerial duels respectively against Burnley, clearly displaying their dominance in the air. In addition, Hoedt made five clearances, while Vestergaard mustered 12 in what was a solid defensive display by the two.
Midfield
Ryan Bertrand will start as the left wingback, and the Englishman is expected to provide a bit of attacking impetus from the left. He managed two key passes against Burnley but could be busier defending rather than attacking tomorrow.
Cedric Soares should start on the opposite flank. Mario Lemina and Oriol Romeu will form the two-man midfield pivot for Southampton. Lemina is someone who marauds forward with the ball when given a chance, while Romeu generally shields the backline and blocks the opposition’s passing lanes with his positioning.
Attack
Stuart Armstrong and Nathan Redmond will start as the two attacking midfielders. Redmond played in a more inverted role, where his primary job is to cut in and search for an incisive pass. Armstrong, on the other hand, tends to stretch play with his runs and his task will be to find Charlie Austin inside the box.
Austin has the ability to hold off defenders and his aerial threat will be key for the Saints tomorrow. Hughes does have the option of using Danny Ings who is a different sort of striker when compared to Austin.
Ings mustered an impressive four key passes despite coming on as a substitute against Burnley in the 55th minute and he is quicker than Austin in the attacking third. He needs to be slowly integrated into the team and might come on later in the second half.
